Adapting multimedia-based materials

General

Multimedia, perhaps more than any other, is a highly context-sensitive medium. It is therefore difficult to lay down hard and fast accessibility rules. It is more important to understand the general principles, to recognize the ways in which accessibility can be added and to examine the context in which the multimedia will be used by learners.

Ideally, multimedia should be produced multimodally, i.e. each individual strand of picture, text and audio should self sufficiently convey the learning objectives as well as each strand supporting the other two to create an enriched communication.

For deaf and hearing impaired learners, multimedia can be as much an accessibility benefit than a barrier. Barriers are likely to exist where;

• the video strand does not convey the full impact of the narrative (for example, a video clip/animation of a four stroke engine may be visually self sufficient in terms of the working of the pistons but the audio narrative might also mention fuel types and engine efficiencies. Without reasonable adjustments, a deaf/hearing impaired learner would miss this information.
  
• the audio stream is the key medium and the video is merely supporting – for example, a dialogue in a play. The body language will convey some of the drama but the dialogue and intonation will convey much more.
  
• the audio creates atmosphere, for example the use of music to heighten tension as a scene develops.
  

In many cases – especially when working with legacy materials – explaining the gaps to a learner (either by providing additional notes or face to face support) is the most appropriate adjustment, allowing the learner to ask questions for clarification where needed. One of the characteristics of multimedia is that it contains a substantial degree of material which is redundant to the learning objectives.

For learners with residual hearing, video is personaliseable since they can adjust the volume to suit individual needs.

Range of adjustments

Video

The appropriate reasonable adjustments will depend on the context of use (see below). Different reasonable adjustments relate to differing contexts for example whether the materials;

• form a major or minor element of a course,
  
• are to be used for repeated independent use or one-off supported use
  
• are available commercially (e.g. video of a mainstream film)
  
• are created by in-house experts or by modestly skilled teaching staff.

When creating multimedia materials for educational use the starting point should be to design them in such a way that each strand (audio, video, text) is as full an expression as possible of the learning objectives – and that each enriches and/or reinforces the other. There are exceptions to this general rule which might present particular problems for deaf/hearing impaired learners, e.g. when the authorial intention requires:

• Ambiguity between media - where tone of voice says one thing while her face 'says' another
  
• Bricolage - where the elements are assembled but where the different media do not and are not supposed to correspond. 
• Tone - where playfulness and irony are important.
  

In these circumstances, 1:1 support, audio description or supporting text notes might be appropriate adjustments.

Reasonable adjustments vary according to context but may include;

• A transcript of the narrative
  
• Subtitles
  
• Subtitles/transcript with additional key information (e.g. ‘(Ironically) “You approve of me then?”)
  
• Inline sign interpretation.
  

In many cases, subtitling to support the use of multimedia is adequate except where:

• The spoken element is complex (e.g. clips where the narrative is fast and dense or overlain with emotional subtext) that the relevant information should be provided in hard copy.
  
• Material is needed for repeated or high stakes use where providing additional notes or inline signing will be a richer and more meaningful solution.
  

Only in relatively rare circumstances would the provision of inline signing on multimedia be a reasonable adjustment. Formalised video signing is highly skilled requiring high video production values and is expensive. For many deaf and hearing impaired learners having many cheap and cheerful unsigned videos would be more accessible than having very few high quality signed versions.

Audio

Audio files (e.g. podcasting) prove an increasingly popular way of providing information to learners since it provides accessibility solutions for many print-impaired learners. These can include recordings of fieldwork/practical observations, summaries of discussions or arguments and interviews or audio presentations. Audio resources are an assistive technology for many learners, especially those with print difficulties or those with visual problems.

Many learners with hearing difficulties can benefit from audio resources online because they can at adjust the volume and playback bits they missed – something they can’t do in a lecture theatre or classroom. Nevertheless, all learners (particularly deaf learners) will benefit from the simple value-added techniques below.

• Description of purpose - Different recordings have different purposes and a short description of the purpose will make a significant difference to the focus the user gives the task. For example, in a recorded interview, is the objective to find specific information? to recognise rhetorical devices? to analyse group dynamics? A clear context will help the learner tune their listening and alert a disabled learner to concepts they may need to access in alternative ways.
  
• Transcription of content - Whether the transcript needs to be a word for word script or a summative description will depend on the learning objectives. A word for word explanation will help learners who want to cut and paste information into their assignment but a précis of the content may be better in other circumstances. Again, the learning objectives must be very clear – a summary of complex arguments is a reasonable adjustment for learners with accessibility needs…. unless the learning objective is to summarise complex dialogue!

Technical and production issues

Critical to the whole process is the authorial intention - the learning objectives which are to be communicated - and the extent to which multimedia is adding value to traditional resources. Where narrative, video, text and animation are brought together with accessibility in mind there may be very few later adjustments required. Where multimedia is produced by non-specialists using entry level software and hardware the best adjustment is to ensure narrative, video and supporting text (e.g. subtitles, text summaries, etc.) mutually reinforce the key learning objectives.

Where educational institutions create in-house multimedia using a specialist team they should note the relevant Web Accessibility Guidelines and the practical guidance available on the Skills for Access site. The options available may depend on software used in production and the hardware used in playback but where the options for accessible production exist, sloppy production techniques which render multi-media non-adjustable should be regarded as a breach of good practice and a barrier to reasonable adjustment.

The basic check for accessibility to a deaf/hearing impaired user is “What does it need to make sense with the speakers switched off?”. If not, additional support will be needed in terms of a transcript, subtitling/captioning or inline sign interpretation. These are summarised below in order of production efficiency. This is the reverse of the order of usefulness for a profoundly deaf learner.

• Transcripts – these provide a text summary of the entire narrative. They have the advantage of being printable but the disadvantage of rupturing the synergy between visuals and commentary.
  
• Open captions - text information embedded in the video stream as subtitles. They have two main advantages –
  
• they provide synchronicity between the video and the supporting information so the narrative is linked to the reinforcing imagery.
  
• they are embedded in the video stream so they are “always on” and users do not need to understand how to switch them on.
• Closed captions – text information provided as a separate information stream which can be turned on or off by the viewer. All modern TV systems have inbuilt decoders that can access closed captions. The two main advantages of closed captions are –
  
• since captions are preserved as text, users can potentially archive and index video content and search for specific video content within these archives
  
• unlike open captions, closed caption suffer no loss of quality when the encoded video is compressed since the caption is a separate stream.
• Inline sign interpretation video – this requires a video of a signer creating a signed version of the narrative. This video is synchronised with the main video stream and placed as an insert clip.
  

Context of use

Whether the transcript, captioning or signing needs to be a word for word script or a summative description will depend on the learning objectives. A word for word explanation in a transcript will help learners who want to cut and paste information into their assignment but a précis of the content may be better in other circumstances. Again, the learning objectives must be very clear – a summary of complex arguments or arguments based on complex vocabulary is a reasonable adjustment for deaf/hearing impaired learners.

The context of use is critical in determining the appropriate reasonable adjustment. It must be recognized that;

• multimedia is in itself an accessibility solution for many disabled users (for example, those with dyslexia)
  
• many multimedia resources are legacy collections (for example, video tapes of television programmes) where accessibility options are limited or non-existent
  
• the extent to which the deaf/hearing impaired user is disadvantaged by multimedia depends on a complex interplay between
  
• the nature of disability,
  
• the nature of the media,
  
• the nature of the learning objectives,
  
• the primacy of the multimedia resource in delivering the learning objectives and
  
• the manner in which the multimedia will be delivered (for example with or without tutor support).  
  

Many multimedia resources have partial accessibility – i.e. they may be wholly accessible to some disabled learners, partially accessible to others and wholly inaccessible to some.

When creating new multimedia learning resources accessibility should be maximised within the context in which they are to be used. In the case of significant course materials with a long shelf life and high production values this implies subtitling, explicit narrative and (if appropriate) video or audio description. In contrast, multimedia produced for a more transient context (for example, video clips from fieldwork for revision purposes) may be more appropriately dealt with by ensuring the narrative and the video effectively reinforce one another by conveying the same message.

Banning the use of partially accessible multimedia is potentially more discriminatory than using it.

Conclusion

It is considerably easier to add accessibility at the start of a multimedia resource than it is to retrofit it afterwards.

Multimedia resources, and their use, are highly context sensitive and the most appropriate reasonable adjustment will differ according to the context.

When using legacy materials a one-to-one discussion with the learner may be the most effective reasonable adjustment from the perspective of both the learner and the institution.

When creating new materials accessibility should be considered from the beginning in the way visual, audio and textual materials complement rather than replace one another.

Materials created by an in-house development team should include subtitling wherever possible and the individual multimedia elements should be produced so that they are individually adjustable (where hardware and software support this) or at least the contributory elements should be archived so they can be manipulated individually if required. The choice between open and closed captions is dependent on context of use.

Textual summaries of the key information may be required.

You may also find the following guidance sheets useful:
Audio Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 102 KB)

User Needs Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 105 KB)

Drag & Drop Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 107 KB)

Multiple Choice & Gap Fill Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 105 KB)

Video Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 120 KB)

Flash Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 183 KB)

PowerPoint Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 113 KB)

Animation Advice & Guidance Sheet ( - 137 KB)